Grey Sky Morning
by Shaz1
Summary: Sequel to A Friend in Need, Jack and the crew deal with the aftermath of the battle with Birch, is the Captain as healed as he says he is? Will Elizabeth and Will have a happily ever after? Chapter Eight finally uploaded!
1. Chapter One

Grey Sky Morning

By Shaz 1

Disclaimer: Okay I have told ya once, don't make me go through the pain of saying it again! Oh all right If I must! They don't belong to me all right!

Okay guys here is the sequel to A Friend in Need, you really need to read that mammoth of a story for this to make any sense at all! Thank you for all of your wonderfully kind reviews for that story, I hope that you will keep them coming for this!

Grey Sky Morning

Captain Jack Sparrow desperately tried to suppress a yawn, yet as eagle-eyed as ever, Ana Maria spotted the action.

"Jack go and put ya head down will ya, I ain't lugging you all the way back to your cabin again" she told him, her tone teasing, but her face full of concern. Jack had been through a lot in his life, suffered many near misses and attempts on his life, but recent times had been almost more than the eccentric pirate captain could take, and she had very nearly lost him. She sighed as she saw the stubborn set in his chocolate eyes. "Fine keel over at the helm, see if I care. I'll just leave ya there to sleep in the rain" she told him, both of them knowing that she wouldn't do that, she loved him too much to do so. He grinned at her, his unique mix of white and gold.

"Wouldn't be the first time love, now would it?" he responded with a wink. She rolled her eyes at his response, and left him to it, conceding the battle, but not the war.

Elizabeth giggled at her reflection in the mirror.

"Oh Miss, you look beautiful!" her maid gushed at her. Elizabeth Swan turned briefly to look at the girl that she had known for the last five years. Sarah had been her first personal maid, once she had been old enough to no longer require the nanny, and this was Sarah's first and so far only job, yet Elizabeth still felt embarrassed every time that the young woman called her Miss. She smiled at the pretty maid, in thanks for her comments for Sarah seemed just as excited by the impending wedding as she was herself.

"I can't believe that in two months I shall finally be married to Will!" Elizabeth commented to herself more than to the woman who she liked to think of as a friend.

"I know miss, is your special friend planning on coming to the wedding?" Sarah asked quietly, Elizabeth had told the girl about her adventures with the pirate, and the maid had not betrayed her trust, she had to admit that it did feel good to be able to talk about him to somebody, for he was a good friend to her and she felt no shame in admitting as such- however her father thought of things very differently.

"I don't know Sarah, I sent out an invitation, but the whole situation is going to be very awkward, after all James Norrington would not be pleased to see him" Elizabeth replied, as she began to undo the tiny buttons on her beautifully lavish wedding gown.

"Did you get a reply to the invitation?" Sarah asked, she enjoyed knowing that she knew a special secret, and was pleased that her employer felt able to confide in her.

"No, not as yet anyway. Still I should imagine that it can sometimes take its time to filter through to him" Elizabeth replied, hoping that that was the reason why she was yet to receive a reply.

"Well ma'am, if it is not too out of turn to say, I should imagine that if anybody could find a way to sneak into your wedding, the your friend would be the one" Sarah spoke her tone cautious, keen not to cause offence. Elizabeth chuckled lightly in response.

"Yes, yes I expect that he would be" she replied, her thoughts trying to conjure up the ways that Jack could possibly undertake in order to disguise himself.

Gibbs shivered in the cold of the night, his attention firmly set on his Captain. Jack either didn't notice that he was under scrutiny or just didn't care. Gibbs sighed at the picture his Captain presented, the younger man flexed his wrist as he held onto the helm with cold ridden fingers- the arm injury a result of his recent meeting with Harry Birch, as was the gaunt figure that still remained. Jack's body and mind had been under immense stress in the last six months, and some scars from that time were taking longer to fade than others, and it was the scars in his Captain's eyes that concerned the former navy man the most.

"He ain't gaining the weight back is he?" a female voice spoke from beside him, and Gibbs whirled around to look at the dark beauty that was Ana Maria. He shook his head sadly.

"No he isn't, mind you tis no shock, he don't eat less ya pin him down. Sides he ain't interested" Gibbs replied, his concern clear in his tone.

"Aye, well he bloody well will be interested by the time I've finished with him! Has he replied to Lizzie's letter yet?" she asked, her tone still clipped in a way that spelt trouble for their Captain. Gibbs unconsciously backed away from the irate female pirate, before answering.

"Er no, he ain't yet" he replied, deciding that the shorter his answer the less likely he was to dig himself into trouble.

"Right! This has gone on for long enough!" Ana replied, and with no hesitation she marched straight over to her Captain. Without so much as pausing for breath, she was beside the slight man, had physically grabbed hold of him and dragged him to his cabin before he even had the chance to protest.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" Jack asked when he had himself orientated enough to voice the question.

"Sorting something out that should have been sorted weeks ago. I am sick of standing back and allowing you to finish the job that Birch tried his best to complete. Do you want me to have to sit back and slowly watch you wither away? Don't you think that I deserve more than that?" she asked, her voice clearly showing the frustration that she was feeling, but had held at bay for fear of upsetting her Captain. Jack looked at her through astonished eyes, and for once she was able to actually see past the cheerful façade that presented itself to the world, to the depths of confusion, pain and betrayal. She found it impossible to hold his gaze. "Jack all I am saying is that since Birch was killed it is like a part of you has been missing, you ain't eating and you are hardly sleeping" she told him, her tone deliberately softer in desperation to express her point without pushing her friend away. Jack sighed deeply and looked away, finding it hard to look at her when he could not deny what she said as the truth.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked her, the slurred edge completely missing. She looked up in surprise, expecting at least a mild denial, as she was used to from the cagey young Captain.

"Writing sommat to Lizzie 'uld be a start" she replied, and then finally receiving his nod she turned and left the cabin, without letting her friend see her grin. Jack sighed deeply as Ana left the cabin, he pulled his chair out and sat down at his desk, pulling out a sheet of parchment and his pen, after a few minutes thought he put pen to the paper and began writing, allowing his mind to flow freely onto the paper as he wrote. When he had finished he placed the pen back onto his desk, neatly folded the paper and placed it into the addressed envelope, licked it shut then placed that down on the desk, ready to be posted the next day when they reached port. With a sigh he pushed his chair back and got to his feet, choosing to ignore the dizziness that assailed him as he did so.

End Chapter One

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	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Thank you for your tremendous response to the first chapter of this story, please keep all of your reviews coming for this chapter and the ones that follow, as they never fail to spur me on!

Chapter Two

Jack whistled to himself as he stood at the helm of his ship. He finally felt at peace with himself, Ana had laid off of him since he had posted his letter to Elizabeth and he was in control of his home and his destination, that was exactly the way that Jack liked it.

Elizabeth held the envelope in her hand in trepidation, she was almost afraid to open it. She had instantly recognized the flamboyant swirls of the handwriting on the envelope, and the seal on it was familiarly tatty and unique to her friend who currently sailed the seas of the Caribbean pillaging and plundering. She smiled slightly as she thought of the pirate Captain, she so desperately hoped that the letter enclosed in her hand was telling her that he would be attending her impending wedding, yet she had a knot in her tummy at the thought that he may not. She sighed to herself, the worse thing was the suspense, she had promised Will that she would not open the letter until he returned home, and every second felt like an eternity as she waited for him. She felt as thought the letter was burning a hole in her hand as she turned it over and over trying to resist the temptation. She tilted it to one side and peered through the tiny gap in the side, trying to see if she could make out any of the words. She then carefully placed her nail in the gap and shifted it slightly to one side to see if that allowed anything further to become clear. Elizabeth huffed and placed the letter down in disgust, she wasn't used to being defeated, but she couldn't bring herself to tear the letter open without Will beside her, even though she was dying to be reassured by the words contained within the letter.

When Will arrived home he was shocked as Elizabeth literally flew towards him, her figure a blur.

"Oh thank god you are home" Elizabeth exclaimed as she physically took hold of him and dragged him into the living area of his home. He was too shocked to speak for a few moments.

"What on Earth is the matter?" he asked her, and he immediately realized what had his fiancée so het up when he saw what she was frantically weaving in front of his face "From Jack?" he asked. She nodded simply, please that finally she was going to get to read the words that she had carved to read since the letter had arrived earlier that day. She waited no longer and literally tore the envelope open pulling the letter out from within. The two then read it together.

_Dear Whelp and Miss Elizabeth,_

_I am glad to hear that you are finally making an honest lady out of the lovely Miss Swan. This is really just a quick note to let you know that I have received your letter and myself and Anamaria would be honored to attend your nuptials, providing that we encounter no difficulties as we head into port. Thank you for your kind invitation, I fear that it is far more than I deserve for the horrors that I put you through on our last meeting, I do hope that I can make that up to you, and if not I will die trying.#_

_Anyway I better dash we are on the trail of a lovely Spanish merchant ship and the lads are getting restless._

_We will see you shortly._

_Love_

_Your Friend_

_Jack_

The two were pleased to find that their friend did intend to come to their wedding, yet neither of them could hide the concern that they felt by some of the words and the general tone contained in the letter.

"He sounds a bit low to me" Will commented when he was sure that Elizabeth had also finished reading.

"Yes, yes he does. That is something we shall have to talk to Ana about upon their arrival" Elizabeth replied.

Ana couldn't help but get mad, she knew that Jack had sent the letter and that he had bothered to do that was a relief, and she had deliberately backed off since he had done so, yet he had still not told her what he had said in his reply. She didn't even know if they were going to the wedding or not, and it was beginning to irritate her, yet she could not bring herself to beg him to tell her. She sighed to herself as she saw his smug grin, yet she couldn't' bring herself to be completely angry, for it was the first sign of the old Jack that she had seen in along time, and she didn't want to push him back below the surface.

"Admit it, you really want to know don't ya?" he asked her, his tone taunting slightly which she was sure was deliberate.

"Couldn't care less really" she replied even though she knew that they both knew that it was a lie.

"I'll not bother telling ya then" he responded before sauntering off back to the helm of his ship. She bit down on her lip to prevent herself from screaming in frustration. A few moments later she just couldn't take any more, so she spun on her heel and headed in the direction that he had gone.

"Jack Sparrow, you get back here this instant" she yelled after him, and he spun around and quickly marched back towards her.

"It is Captain Sparrow love, Captain savvy?" he told her, yet she could clearly see the twinkle in his eye. "What do you want love?" he asked her, deliberately baiting her. She took a deep breath and allowed a friendly smile to form on her face.

"Captain please will you tell me if we will be attending the wedding of Will and Elizabeth?" she asked him, her tone sickly sweet. Jack rolled his eyes all too aware of her dramatic performance. He stepped forward and looked deep into her dark orbs.

"Yes me dear we shall be attending" he told her, before gently reaching forward, taking her hand in his and lifting it to his lips where he planted a gentle kiss on it. Without another word he turned away back to the helm, and somehow Ana could've sworn that her heart had sped up.

End Chapter Two

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	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews, it really means a lot to this simple author, please keep them coming.

Chapter Three

"Oh gosh Will what are we going to do? I just can't bring myself to decide between the roses or the lilies and there is less than two weeks to go!" Elizabeth complained to her fiancé, as she pondered between her two flower choices. Will resisted the urge to laugh, knowing that she would be far from amused if he gave into the urge.

"Well the roses would add a sense of romance don't you think?" Will asked her his eyes sparkling as he looked at his beautiful bride to be. He knew full well that she couldn't resist him when he brought up the word romance, for really it summed up their entire relationship. Elizabeth felt a grin cause her stern face to crumble and a giggle escaped her as the stress from the wedding planning process finally began to ebb away.

"You always know what to say. I love you William Turner" Elizabeth told the young blacksmith, and her words came from her heart, her eyes shining with the love that held her well and truly in it's depths. Softly a smile lit her glowing face as she stepped towards her love and planted a soft kiss on his mouth. "And I cannot wait to become your wife" Will smiled back and returned the gentle kiss with one of his own, his action clearly showing that he reciprocated her words completely.

Jack hummed to himself as his beloved ship bobbed up and down on the calm waters of the Caribbean. The weather had been fine for the last week, with not even a drop of rain falling on the pirate ship. They would arrive at Port Royal the following day, and Jack was in the process of thinking up his plan to gain entry to the Turner-Swan wedding without ending up with yet another appointment with the noose. He sighed to himself as he realised that his precious dreadlocks would certainly have to go, and his goatee would have to have a trim as well. Was it really worth all this? He asked himself, yet somehow he knew it was. He had been through too much with Elizabeth and Will to even consider not attending their wedding. He sighed to himself, he had already instructed the crew that they would be heading to Tortuga en route to Port Royal, he had items that he needed to pick up before he could attend the wedding. He squinted against the early morning sun, this was the part of the day that he loved the most, here he was where he belonged stood at the helm of his Pearl, alone to bask in the sunshine of the Caribbean. This was when the ship was quiet; the crew were below deck tucking into their breakfasts, food that lately he had no appetite for. This was the time of day when he felt the most together with the Pearl, as if it was only him and his ship on the entire ocean, this was the time when he felt the most free.

"This is the fifth day in a row that he hasn't eaten breakfast, and he has skipped dinner four times as well" Ana ranted to Gibbs. The large man merely sighed he was more than used to hearing Ana vent her concerns for their Captain.

"Ana, just leave him be. Jack will be fine; it is time now to leave him to get through this in his own way. He has agreed to go to the wedding that has gotta be a step the right way" Gibbs tried to reassure the young woman before him, a young woman who he was almost certain had fallen in love with their Captain.

"Get your behinds moving you scabbid dogs, I wanna see us docked within the next two hours, savvy?" Jack yelled after his crew watching them run up and down the deck as he asked them too. He grinned to himself, the sun bouncing off the flash of gold and white. He glanced into the distance and was relieved to finally catch sight of the small island where they were heading. "Ah Tortuga! I am gonna get me some rum!" he muttered to himself, his eyes dancing in mischief. Finally the ship was docked and tied fast, Jack was relieved to be there, he had only one day spare for the crew to unwind in the town, before they would have to set sail once more to complete their journey to Port Royal. He mentally logged all of the tasks that he had to carry out in that short time, and suddenly found rum quite low down on the list. Without further ado he stepped off of the ship and headed straight to meet with Scarlett, hoping against hope that she wouldn't have let him down.

"Oh Will, I just can't believe it! In ten days time this will be our home, and we will be married!" Elizabeth gushed, Will grinned broadly he honestly could not recall ever seeing his fiancée so excited and happy. "Oh Will, I just can't wait. Everybody is going to be there, my father, James and Jack and Anamaria, I can't wait to see them there" she continued, her excitement bubbling over. Will chuckled.

"Yes I know, I do hope that they can come, it will be brilliant to see them" Will replied, his eyes clouding slightly at the memory of how they had left them. Elizabeth quickly caught onto her fiancé's melancholy and stepped in to reassure him.

"Jack will be okay you know. He has Anamaria, and they are both coming to see us get married. In ten days time we will b living out the happiest day of our lives and our best friends will be there to see it" she spoke the words from her heart, she knew what to say to help him feel better, mainly because she needed the reassurance herself.

Finally Jack had managed to obtain all of the items that he had gone for, and Scarlett really had done him proud in her main selections. He had to admit that he was exhausted, he had not walked so much since Birch, and it had left his legs weak with tiredness. He breathed a huge sigh of relief when he finally arrived back at the Pearl, he tossed all of the packages onto the floor of his cabin, kicked off his boots and then laid himself out on his bunk, allowing sleep to claim him immediately.

End Chapter Three


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Thank you to all of you that have been reading this story and have left a review or encouraging e-mail, I greatly appreciate it. Sorry for the delay in updating, but please stick with me and keep reviewing!

Chapter Four

Anamaria allowed a grin to capture her dark complexion as she caught sight of her Captain sleeping peacefully on his bed, fully dressed and looking healthier than she had seen him for some time. Silently as she could she turned on her heel and left the cabin, not willing to wake her friend for anything short of an attack.

"Jack back yet?" Gibbs asked his fellow pirate. Ana grinned slightly in response.

"Aye he sure is. Sleeping like a baby in his cabin" she replied a slight chuckle to her voice. Gibbs smiled in reply, pleased that his friend had given into the demands of his still healing body and having a rest like he should be.

"Do you know where he went sneaking off to?" Gibbs asked Ana, the question had been concerning him the whole time that they had been on the island, for he had not seen his friend throughout the day.

"I have no clue, he didn't tell me and I haven't seen at all since we came into port" Ana replied, her tone clearly showing her own curiosity at where their Captain had been.

"Oh well, if I know Jack as well as I think I do then I have no doubt that all will become clear before we know it" Gibbs replied, and Ana couldn't help but feel that he was right.

Elizabeth smiled to herself, she was more than pleased with her selections for the wedding, and she knew in her heart and her mind that it was going to be a beautiful day. Their dearest friends were going to be there, and their family would be surrounding them. She sighed she was so happy and so in love that part of her feared that somehow something was going to go wrong, for she feared that it could not possibly all go as smoothly as it had so far. She shook her head slightly to dispel the dreary thoughts and lifted her left hand up; just catching a brief glimpse of the shimmering rock that adorned her ring finger could bring a smile of deepest joy to her face. Will had saved for months to buy her the beautiful engagement ring and he had chosen the perfect one. Simple and elegant just as she would have chosen for herself. That was the sum of their relationship really, their tastes were so similar yet different enough to complement each other. She laughed lightly at the thought, a couple of years ago, even though her heart still knew different, she would never have imagined that she would be marrying a blacksmith that at one time she had thought was a pirate.

Some hours later Jack slowly woke up, for once feeling refreshed and ready to face the day, he grinned to himself and got to his feet. Heading over to the package that he had brought back on board he once more opened and smiled wistfully to himself. His fingers slowly slipping through the delicate material held in the paper, yes Scarlett really had done well for him. He hoped that his purchases would serve well at the impending nuptials, he hoped he didn't end up at the noose again, still Captain Jack Sparrow did enjoy a challenge, and he certainly enjoyed going where he wasn't supposed to go. Suddenly he whirled around as he heard his cabin door being pushed open, he quickly pushed the paper closed when he caught sight of Ana coming into his cabin.

"Oh you're awake" she commented.

"So it appears" he replied, keeping his body between Ana and the bundle on his desk.

"What have you got there?" she asked, catching sight of it.

"Where?" he asked, knowing that he was caught.

"On the desk behind ya" she replied and started walking forward, when she was less than a foot away from the desk he snatched it up desperately trying to keep the material covered by the paper, it proved that luck was not always on Jack's side when the paper split and the soft items went tumbling down onto his cabin floor. Ana lurched forward and scooped up the fallen items. "what's this?" she asked, her tone soft. Jack refused to meet her eyes.

"I got it for you" he replied quietly. Ana gasped, for in her hands she held the most beautiful dress that she had ever seen in her life. The dress was modern with detailed stitching to the bodice and silk ties on the back The skirt was long and followed and tiny little flowers were stitched on the low hem of the skirt. The whole dress was a soft pale pink with pearlescent buttons- it was elegant and classic and Ana was shocked that Jack had bought it for her for she could tell that it must be beyond expensive for such an exquisite garment.

"For me?" she asked, barely able to speak through the lump in her throat.

"Aye, I thought you might like it for the wedding" he told her, blushing furiously. Ana found herself unable to speak, the gesture as much as the dress itself left her speechless and touched beyond belief.

"Oh Jack!" she gushed, unable to express quite how happy she was by his action. Jack looked away and turned his attention back to the rest of the bundle, handing her the corset and underskirt that she would require to complete the outfit. Finally he bent down once more and lifted up two more items that added to her amazement and delight.

"I thought you might need these as well" he told her as he passed her the most ladylike shoes she had seen, the dusky pink shoes matched the dress perfectly, and with the tiny delicate heels it would complement the style of dress exactly. Finally she reached for the headpiece that he had bought her. The hat was similar to the one that Elizabeth had worn that day of the failed hanging in Port Royal, soft ribbons that matched the ties of the dress adorned the hat and Ana knew that it would go perfectly with the entire outfit. She also knew that the whole thing must have cost him an absolute fortune, to get shoes any colour other than black or white was nigh on impossible.

"Oh Jack, thank you!" she told him, gently placing the items on his bed and reaching out to grab him into a hug, he allowed the embrace breathing in her scent. He was shocked further when she leant forward and her lips met his in a soft intimate kiss. They stayed like that for some time.

"That's interesting" Jack commented when they broke apart. Ana grinned slightly, the kiss had expressed her gratitude at his thoughtful action as well as the love that she felt for him. She knew that she loved Jack, hell Jack probably knew that she loved him, yet neither of them were fully willing to explore that possibility at that time.

"Thank you Jack, but what are you going to wear?" she asked him, hoping that he hadn't spent all of his money on her clothes- leaving nothing with which to purchase his own clothing.

"Ah don't you worry love, I am sorted" he replied, yet did not explain any further. "Now lets get this ship back to sea before we miss the shindig" he continued, heading out of the cabin before Ana could say another word.

End Chapter Four

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	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Well I hope that you all had a very merry Christmas and will go on to have a happy New Year! Thank you all for the wonderful reviews for the last chapter of this story, please keep reading and submitting your thoughts and opinions on my story- I appreciate every single comment whether good or bad.

Chapter Five

Anamaria was unable to remove the grin from her face throughout the rest of the trip; she was so looking forward to fixing her hair up properly and dressing like a real lady. She whistled to herself as she wandered the decks making sure that every crew member was pulling their weight to get them to Port Royal in three days times. She only had to wait three more days before she would be able to wear the stunning gown that Jack had bought for her; the thoughtful pirate had even bought the young couple a wedding present, although he hadn't actually told her yet what it was. The only vague concern that she had left was what on earth was Jack going to wear? And more to the point would whatever he pulled out of the hat be sufficient to disguise who he was so that he didn't end up swinging by a noose. She sighed, she trusted Jack implicitly and knew that he wasn't stupid, not by any stretch of the imagination, but he was on occasion reckless with his own life- especially if it was in order to do something for one of his few friends. With a sigh she headed below deck to get some grub and to make sure that her Captain was doing likewise.

Jack drummed his fingers against the helm; he had been very pleased by Ana's reaction to the dress, particularly the kiss. When she had touched her lips to his, he had felt a surge of warmth and a stirring deep within him that he just couldn't fathom. He had always cared deeply for Ana, and a part of him knew full well that that had developed into love a long time ago, yet there was something there that was just holding him back, stopping him from just grabbing hold of her and sweeping her off her feet- following Will and Elizabeth down to aisle to take Ana as his wife. He just didn't know what was stopping him- granted it wasn't very usual for a pirate to fall in love with a good woman and marry her but Jack had never really been a conventional pirate. He knew in his heart that Ana would treat him and love him the way that he secretly longed for, but a part of him had been snatched away and lost forever when he had been so callously betrayed by his crew and he realized with a jolt that it was the lack of that part that was holding him back. For it was his ability to trust that had long since gone.

Elizabeth hummed to herself as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. This was the final chance for her assistants to practice her hair and make up and they had done a fine job of it. She could hardly believe that she would become Mrs. Turner in three days time, she was so excited that it brought tears to her eyes just thinking about it. She couldn't wait to see everybody that she loved gathered together for her and Will. She was especially excited to see Jack and Anamaria again, she was touched and honoured that the daft pirate Captain was willing to return to Port Royal in order to see her and Will take vows to be united in their love. She had had a soft spot for Jack for as long as she had known him. She didn't know whether it was his unique ability to irritate the hell out of her or that cheeky smile that reached his chocolate brown eyes, but there was something about the man that made it completely impossible to stay angry with him for any length of time. She sighed- she really hoped that this wedding was going to match up to all her expectations for she truly did believe that it was going to be the happiest day of her life.

Jack stared at his reflection in the mirror, taking in his tanned face masked in part by the beaded goatee at his chin. His bandanna covered most of his forehead and his deadlocked hair disguised the length of it. All of these little things were distinctive Captain Jack Sparrow and that was precisely where his current problem stemmed from, he was just too distinctive and if he wasn't particularly careful it was going to end up costing him his life and that would certainly make the wedding memorable for his good friends he was also fairly sure that it would ruin it for them and that was the last thing that he wanted. He sighed to himself eyeing the sharp cut throat razor that lay on the desk in front of him, his hand hovered over it yet somehow he couldn't bring it to actually grab hold of it.

"Come on Jack, this is daft" he urged himself, yet the fearless pirate couldn't bring himself to grab it and get rid f his beard. He screamed to himself in frustration. "It'll grow back, just give it a month or so and it would look just as it does now" he tried to convince himself speaking out loud to push the point further into his brain. He had told Ana that he was going into his cabin for a drink and to study the maps for where they should go once they left Port Royal, but really he was all too aware that the wedding was a matter of 30 hours away and they would be docking at Port Royal in less than 20 hours yet still he had not managed to convince him to cut his beard and hair. He had to do it. He could pull swords and bullets out of his own chest, he could wrap up burnt and cut skin and he could sure as hell raise his hand to shoot someone or parry any blow- yet he could not work up the courage to reach hold of a razor and change his appearance. The problem was it was more than appearance for Jack- it was part of the façade, part of the mask that protected him from the outside World, that stopped him from being open enough to get hurt. Or at least that is what he kept telling himself. To take that away would be like taking a part of himself away. He loved Will and Elizabeth and would anything for them- including shaving his beard, but some things took more doing than others. With one final frustrated sigh he left his cabin in disgust and did what he always did when he needed time to think- headed to his helm to control his ship.

Ana looked at her Captain in concern, he had been in a foul mood all day and she was completely at a loss as to why. He certainly wasn't being forthcoming with a reason why and she knew well not to push him when he was in this mood for he would not usually voluntarily open up to her when he was in a normal mood so today would be hopeless. She only hoped that he would snap out of it in time for the wedding. Unless it was that that was causing his current mood. She looked at him quizzically, he had been fine before he had gone into his cabin earlier, she wondered what had happened then? She sighed to herself knowing that she would more than likely never find out, she carefully approached the helm of the ship to her Captain,

"Captain, why don't you go and get some dinner, I will do the final leg" she offered and he seemed to consider her words.

"Er no love, why don't you go and get Marty to cover, you need to get your rest as well. First thing in the morning we will need to get in the small boat for the wedding so you need your sleep too" he told her, surprising her by his kind thought. She smiled in response and nodded once before heading off to get her crew mate. Once she was gone Jack took a deep breath to himself- now was the time. It was now or never, his thoughts drifted back to the razor that sat on his desk and he tried to suppress the shudder that coarse through him at the thought, but he would do it. He would do it for Will and Elizabeth and he would do it for Ana.

Jack set the oil lamp on his desk, he had been in his cabin for over and hour, but the beard and hair were still in tact, it was a lot harder than it looked.

"Come on Jack. It grows quick" he whispered to himself. He reached his hand up and carefully unfastened the bead from the end of his beard, undoing the plait as he did so. He sighed as he finished, that wasn't so hard. Next he turned his attention to his hair and winced at the thought. Very carefully he began with the bone that was tightly gripped by one of the dreadlocks. Once all of his trinkets had been removed he set his attention back to the hair itself carefully undoing each and every dreadlock, until his hair hung loose beside his face. His hair waved where it had been confined by the styling for only God would remember how long, yet Jack knew that once he had washed it in the morning it would hang straight and be tied in a normal pony tail with little trouble. He had delayed for long enough and there were only two more things left to do and both involved using sharp objects. He sighed and then in one movement grabbed the knife and with one deft flick of the wrist cut the loose hanging strands of his beard. He winced as he caught sight of it in the mirror feeling as though he had amputated one of his own fingers. He then took hold of the razor and neatened up the remainder- he would probably stand out more if he went cleanly shaven than he would with a neat goatee. His tanned face would stand out enough. He looked back in the mirror and was happy that his efforts were adequate. With one last shake of the head he decided that he had done enough for the night and would do his hair in the morning once he had washed it, it would be easier to cut anyway.

Jack suffered a sleepless night that night, which wasn't unusually but it was usually nightmares of past experiences or battles that kept him awake- not his fear of cutting his hair. He got straight out of bed and went to quickly wash his hair through before anybody else brave enough to comment would be up. Once his hair was wet through he headed back to his cabin and began to cut it. Once he was satisfied that it was fairly straight and would pass in Port Royal he headed back and climbed into the bath, keen to smell like a landlubber even though he wasn't one. He washed his hair through once more, then quickly clambered out of the bath and dried himself off. He reached under his bunk and pulled out the suit that he had got specifically for the wedding and laid it out on the bed.

"Damn wedding is costing me a fortune" he muttered to himself. Just as he was reaching to pull out the new boots he heard a knock on the door. "Yeah?" he yelled in question.

"Jack? Ana asked me to make sure that you were up" Gibbs yelled back.

"Yeah I'm up tell her I'll not be long" he replied. He could hear Gibbs chuckling lightly outside the room.

"She also sent ya up some breakfast" Gibbs called again. Jack rolled his eyes.

"Bloody woman" he muttered as he headed across to the door. His breeches on and his crisp white shirt pulled on but not yet done up. He grabbed the door and roughly pulled it open. Gibbs stood with his mouth agape at the sight before him. Jack reached out and grabbed the tray from his long time friend.

"Don't say a sodding word" he muttered, as Gibbs stood in shock at the sight of his Captain. Gibbs grinned at the comment before raising his hands up in surrender and stepping back. Jack nodded once and then shut the door to finish getting ready. He sat at his desk and picked at the breakfast his appetite not really with him. He sighed once more and then fastened the buttons on the shirt and tucking it into the breeches that he wore. He pulled the boots on one by one and tightly did up the laces, he then did up his tie. He grinned as he did so he hoped that Ana would like that fact that his tie perfectly matched the dress that he had bought her. He then pulled on his waistcoat and jacket fastening both by the buttons. Finally he grabbed his brush and dragged it through his newly shorter hair until it looked dry and shiny. He then fastened it into a ponytail. Lastly he dabbed on a little bit of scent to disguise the smell of sea water, he then stepped back and looked at himself in the mirror only to find a stranger looking back at him. He sighed to himself before stepping out to find Ana.

Ana couldn't believe that the person starring back at her was her. She looked so different the dress fit her perfectly, the colour complimenting her skin tone to perfection. She smiled, she had never felt more attractive Jack had got his choice spot on as usual. She turned around and opened the door to the cabin to find a stranger with Jack's eyes looking at her.

"Oh my God" she gasped, for stood before her instead of the pirate Captain there was an English gentleman, and a mighty fine looking one at that.

End Chapter Five

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	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews, I wasn't sure if anybody would still be interested in this story, I am really pleased that you appear to be!! Please keep the reviews coming!! So Sorry for the terrible delay in posting this!!!

Chapter Six

Once she had managed to get over her initial shock Ana realized what a beautiful man Jack really was, oh she had always known that he was attractive but she had never quite registered just how attractive he was. Just looking at him now caused something to stir deep within her- a fluttering in her stomach telling her something yet she did not know what. Her breath caught in her throat as he bowed before her, then all at once his chocolate orbs locked onto hers as he held out his hand towards her. Surprised at the tenderness of the gesture she placed her gloved hand into his and together the two walked along the deck of the ship to where the smaller boat rested, complete with oars. Jack easily stepped into the smaller boat before stretching out his arm and helping Ana with the step, unaccustomed as she was to wearing such fine clothes she appreciated both the help and the gesture and took him up on his offer. Once they were settled in the small wooden boat, Jack called out to Gibbs.

"If we ain't back by sun down set sail to Tortuga and wait there for a week, if we ain't returned by then you scarper, but keep the Pearl safe" Jack instructed the older man, keen to make sure that even if he got caught that it wouldn't cause any harm to his crew or ship.

"Aye Captain. Send my love to the Whelp and Miss Swan" Gibbs replied with a twinkle in his eye, he knew full well how much Jack cared for the younger couple no matter how nonchalant he attempted to be.

"Na I will send it to Mr and Mrs Turner" Jack replied with a grin and a wink, then with a nod the crew began to carefully hoist the small boat down onto the calm waves below.

"You look stunning my dear" the proud governor told his beaming daughter. In his eyes he had never seen such a beautiful sight, he cared not that she was about to marry a blacksmith, all that mattered was her happiness and as he had never seen anybody look quite as radiant he was more than satisfied that Will Turner made her happy. Elizabeth turned around to look at her father, her eyes sparkled with joy as she saw the pride in his eyes.

"Thank you daddy" she replied, using a rare term of affection. She couldn't believe that today was the day that she would become a woman. She had longed for this day and finally it was coming true, and she had never felt happier. She turned back once more to look at her reflection, her dress was pinned in all of the right places to look elegant yet modern to the day. Her hair was curled into soft ringlets with a sparkling tiara and veil pinned on top. Her face was glowing with health and love and she was more than ready to become Mrs William Turner.

Will grimaced for the tenth time in as many minutes, he just couldn't get the knot in his cravat to stay straight, he wanted, no needed, to be immaculately dressed. Today was the day that the love of his life was going to pledge her love and loyalty to him. Today was the first day of the rest of their lives and he had never felt so happy and complete. He just needed this day to go perfectly to run smoothly and exactly as planned. All of their family and friends were going to watch them exchange their vows, he sighed in happiness at the thought of the life that he was about to step into with Elizabeth by his side.

Ana couldn't help the grin that covered her face as she walked arm in arm with Jack through the picturesque streets of Port Royal. She was happy- genuinely happy and proud to have her best friend on her arm. Jack looked so different yet the twinkle in his eye and the grin on his face was poor Captain Sparrow, but without the trinkets and the dreadlocks she could see beyond the mask that he kept firmly on his face, she could see the vulnerability and the pain that they usually kept hidden. She could see everything that made him the man that he was- and she suspected that that was why it was so hard for him to be without them. She squeezed his arm and grinned at him as he turned to look at her. The grin expressing the joy that she felt was having him in her life, but also the concern that she felt for him over the last week or so. She loved him, they both knew it- but they were both too afraid to mention it.

Jack walked along more steadily than he ever had in his recent life. Now was not the time for his usual swagger- Port Royal was no place for any of his Captain Sparrow traits- today he was just Jack- friend of William Turner and Elizabeth Swan and he would see them get married and start the rest of their happy lives together. He would not spoil it for them- he loved them too much for that. He turned his head as he felt some pressure on his arm and his eyes locked onto the other object of his affection. His Anamaria. He didn't really know how long his heart had belonged to her for, but it certainly did. He smiled at her expressing the love that he felt in a way that he knew he would probably never speak of. In some ways he loved her too much to ever tell her. My but she looked beautiful today, she deserved to be treated like this everyday and to look this happy. In reality he knew that Ana wouldn't really be happy with that she was pirate through and through- it was one of the reasons that he loved her so much.

"Come on pet, its over there" he commented to Ana, pointing to where a group of people dressed in finery stood close to A beautiful archway covered in roses. Jack smiled at the romance of it and tightening his grip on Ana'a arm lead her forward ready to see his dear friends tie the knot.

End Chapter Six

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	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Thank you to those of you have been sticking with this story despite the large gap I left between updates last time. Please keep reading and reviewing it, it means a lot to me!

On with the story!

Chapter Seven

Elizabeth stood in the doorway of her room, the last time she would be considering it her room. Carefully she smoothed down her gorgeous bridal gown and fixed the clasp on her watch before taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she carefully started her journey down the stairs, her long train following behind her. Her father stood at the bottom of the stairs, his heart in his throat as he watched his daughter float down the stairs, never had he seen such a regal and beautiful sight. His eyes filled with tears as his heart pounded with pride. He loved his daughter and he had never felt more proud of her, she had shown such courage and followed her heart and now she was getting the reward for her bravery- she was marrying the man that she loved, and he had no doubt that William Turner loved his daughter at least equally as much in return. At that moment he himself felt happier than he had in a long time, and if that was even half as happy as his daughter was then she was a very lucky girl.

Will could barely keep the grin off his face as he walked up the aisle to take his position at the front for the ceremony, as he walked through the church his eyes flicked through the crowd, searching all the faces for a certain familiar grin. His heart sunk more and more with each aisle as he failed to spot the person that he was desperately seeking.

"Morning Whelp" a familiar husky voice whispered into his ear, and Will's face erupted into a full grin.

"Jack! Thank god you made it!" he whispered back before turning around and finding a stranger with Jack's eyes starring back at him. His concern must have shown, as Jack's grin quickly faded.

"Is a disguise you know, wouldn't want a trip to the noose running your big day now would I?" he replied, his eyes twinkling with his words. Will grinned, touched that his friend had cut his hair and beard for him, that must have broken the young pirate's heart for him to do that. However it wasn't just the deliberate change that concerned him, Jack seemed paler than normal, and his eyes lacked the usual mischief, plus it was difficult to tell but he could have sworn that the pirate had lost weight- weight that he did not have going spare.

"You okay Jack?" Will asked softly, his voice and simple question conveying his concern for his friend.

"Just pleased to be here" Jack replied, his voice serious for once. Will nodded, not sure whether Jack was talking about the wedding or more generally than that.

"I'm glad you are here too. I can't get married without a best man now can I?" Will commented, and it took a moment before Jack grasped exactly what Will had just said.

"You mean…….?" Jack stuttered, for once totally unsure of himself.

"If you would do me the honour?" Will asked, keen to make his friend understand that it was what he wanted.

"The honour would be all mine" Jack replied sincerely, his voice breaking as he replied, shocked that his friend had asked him. He turned round to Ana stood grinning behind him. "Is that okay pet?" he asked her softly. She nodded.

"I would be proud to watch ye Jack" she replied softly meaning it. Will smiled at her partly in greeting and partly in reassurance. Will carefully patted Jack on the shoulder and lead the way to the front if the church.

"I ain't got any rings or anything whelp" Jack whispered, partly insecure in his new role. Will chuckled lightly and handed him a small bag containing two rings. "Thank you" Jack uttered softly, his mind lost in time, searching for when he had ever had a friend as true as Will. His mind coming up blank- never had he been so accepted for what he was, granted the relationship had started off rocky but that was mostly to due to Will's preconceptions of what a pirate was and Jack's inability to trust. But the friendship had been worth the perseverance.

"No Jack thank you. Without you Elizabeth and I would not be getting married here today" Will replied honestly. He didn't know when he had started to love Jack- he just knew that he did. He felt in his blood that Jack would cross the seven seas to help him and in a way he already had. Looking at the man now he just hoped he would be able to repay the favour. Jack had clearly made a huge effort- besides the whole shave and hair he had also obviously spent a fortune on his clothes for the wedding as well, plus Anamaria looked stunning- an outfit that Will was sure that Jack must have bought her. His body felt with warmth as he realised what a true friend he had in Captain Jack Sparrow. Both men were drawn out of their reverie by the sound of an organ and beautiful music filling the walls.

"This is it boy, I hope you're ready" Jack whispered to his younger friend, winking at him in mischief. Will simply nodded and turned his attention to the aisle as a vision of beauty slowly walked towards him.

End Chapter Seven

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	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Hi guys, thank you to those that have stuck with this story, I am glad that someone is reading it! Sorry it has taken me so long to update, but like Elizabeth I too am a bride planning a wedding- a wedding that is less than five weeks away to be precise! Anyway enough of that! On with the story..please keep reviewing!!!

Reposted due to this site having issues with speech marks and deleting them all- hopefully it will work this time!

Chapter Eight

Jack turned his attention towards the blushing bride, and gasped at the vision of beauty walking towards them, he had never seen anybody look so radiant and blissfully happy in his life. The disguised pirate captain shook his head to clear the tears welling in his chocolate eyes. He was so pleased that his two friends were clearly so happy and in love, but he couldnt help but envy the relationship between the two, he had only ever had that once himself and everyone knew how that had ended. He sighed to himself, now was not the time to be so melancholy, he was here to share the special day of his friends. A few moments later and Elizabeth was stood next to her groom, she looked across at Jack and her eyes flickered with delayed recognition, before a fully open smile lit up her beautiful face.

"Hi Jack she whispered to the pirate stood beside her fiance"

"Hello Miss Swan, you look stunning" Jack replied, his voice as sincere as she had ever heard it. She grinned in gratitude, and he winked at her showing his usual cheeky pirate self, she then turned to Will for the ceremony to commence.

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After the ceremony Jack found his way back to Ana, who was wiping a lone tear from her eye.

"Whats the matter luv?" Jack asked softly, taking her hand in his.

"Nothing Jack, it was just so beautiful" she replied, embarrassed by her emotions. Jack chuckled lightly and squeezed her hand in his.

"Why if it isnt Captain Jack Sparrow" a familiar voice said quietly directly behind the pirate. Jack tensed as Commodore Norrington stood in close proximity.

"Commodore, how have you been?" the pirate asked quietly, the two had a sort of uneasy accord in place after the pirates escape from the noose, yet he couldnt help but feel concerned at the other mans presence.

"Healthier than you by all accounts" the navy man replied, yet his tone held no malice. "I see you are still recovering?" he asked softly. Jack sighed slightly and looked away.

"I am just dandy thank you commodore" Jack replied quoting a previous conversation, his tone matching his attire as an English gentleman. He stepped closer to the commodore, intent on noone over hearing the conversation.

"Are you just here for the nuptials then?" James asked him, keeping his tone even and quiet.

"Yes commodore, you need not worry there mate. Me and Ana will be skidaddling as soon as this shindig is over" Jack replied mischief sparkling in his chocolate eyes. James couldnt help the grin that sprang to his face- as much as he hated it he couldnt help but admire the brave pirate captain.

"All right Captain, enjoy the party" the commodore replied, and gently squeezed the smaller mans shoulder, not sure who was most surprised by the action himself or Jack. Jack nodded in response, unsure if he would be able to verbalise any response. Ana stood back to one side, her own jaw practically touching the floor in amazement at what she had just witnessed.

"Wow!" Ana muttered when she had regained the power of speech. "What the bloody hell was that about?" she asked softly.

"I have no idea luv, but at least we know we are safe here" he replied, really not wanting to steal the limelight from his friends by getting hung by the noose on their wedding day. Once the shock had passed he turned and placed an arm around Anas shoulder, and turned to look at his friends chatting with members of the Swan family. "Not much longer then we best be getting back to the Pearl" Jack continued, not willing to risk being separated from his ship or his crew for longer than necessary, accord with the commodore or not.

"We can stay a while longer cant we? You are best man after all" Ana responded with a chuckle, Jack smiled at her words. Who would of thought what good friends they would have become with Elizabeth and Will when they had first met.

"What are you laughing at?" Elizabeth Turner nee Swan asked approaching the pirates. Jack looked at her solemnly.

"Why Mrs Turner, congratulations on your nuptials" Jack stated with a little bow. Elizabeth chuckled at his actions.

"Oh Jack, its so good to see you!" she told him as she encompassed him into a hug. Jack smiled in her embrace.

"Its good to see you too Lizzie" he replied, and the sincerity showed in his voice.

"How are you?" Elizabeth asked him gently, she was not blind and she had already noted the pallor and the gauntness of her friend.

"Just fine thank you" he replied, "Nothing keeps Captain Jack down for long" he replied and she snorted at his answer.

"Only out of sheer stubbornness Jack, we both know that" she replied, and he couldnt help the grin from spreading across his face.

"Aye lass that'll about do it" he replied chuckling at the natural rapport. She smiled at him.

"It is good to see you" she told him again to enforce her point as to how much he meant to them.

"Thank you love" Jack replied and leant forward, placing a gentle peck on her flawless cheek. "We had better get going soon though" he continued.

"You cant go yet!" a new voice joined in, and Jack looked up to meet the gaze of William Turner. "You have got to stay for the meal as best man!" Will continued, keen to make sure he saw his good friend eat every scrap that he gave him, the lords knows he looked like he needed it.

"Fine, but we must dash after that! We got us ships to plunder" Jack replied, Will nodded simply before leading the group to be seated.

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A few hours and several tankards of rum later, Jack was more than slightly merry, Ana was ushering him away from the festivities.

"I wanna say bye to the whelp and his lass before we go Ana!" he replied, sounding far more like a sulking child than a pirate Captain at that moment. Jack swaggered up to his friends, to bid his farewells.

"Where are you sailing to next?" Will asked doubting that he would get a straight answer from the pirate.

"Tortuga!" Jack replied enthusiastically "I need more rum!" he replied. "Besides I promised me crew they could have a couple of days rest" Jack continued, unusually open with his friends. Will nodded in acknowledgement.

"Would you mind a couple of guests for a day or so?" Will asked.

"Ye and ye missus are always welcome on me Pearl whelp, savvy?" Jack replied with a wink and a grin. "Now we must dash. See ya soon me lad!" Jack replied in goodbye. Before Will could say another word Jack had turned, and he and Ana were striding off back to their home.

End Chapter Eight

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